it is impossible to say how many lodges will be down, as those desiring to come down have not made their plans known while in the vicinity of those opposed to peace. He reports that the scarcity of buffalo has compelled the Indians to break up their main camp, and they are now in numerous small camps, the hostile bands keeping as close together as circumstances will permit. Those desirous of peace are moving toward Devil's Lake, and it is thought there will be from 50 to 100 lodges that will surrender themselves during the fall and early part of winter. All those that have not participated in the outbreak will be down as fast as they can escape from the hostile Indians.

Gabriel Renville was directed some days since to send messengers to Red Feather to have him change his direction and go to the scouts' camp, on the James, instead of coming to this post. Fearing that those messengers may not find the camp, I have directed Owarkee to return with one of his men to Red Feather's camp and take him down the James. The remainder of the men and all the families that have come in will start to-morrow to join Renville 's camp. I learn from the Indians that have come in that the two horses taken by Paul Maza-ka-te-mannee and his party, the particulars of which I heretofore reported, were in the possession of three Warpekute Sioux, who were returning from the settlements with six stolen horses. They escaped with four of them, passing along the Coteau between the fort and the hay meadow to escape the scouts on the James and the troops at the meadow. Samuel J. Brown, Joseph Ramilliard, and Lorenzo Lawrence arrived from Fort Thompson on the 24th instant. They report that twenty-four lodges of the Sioux from Fort Thompson have crossed the James for the purpose of hunting on the Coteau. They propose to locate along the Sioux, Redwood, &c. A portion are supposed to have reached the Hole-in-the-Mountain by this time; others are along the Sioux, and others on the lakes between the Sioux and the James. As the location of those Indians on the east of the James is contrary to the policy of the Government, and their approach to the Minnesota frontier is calculated to excite the fears of the settlers, I would respectfully recommend that a sufficient force by sent from here to remove those along the upper portion of the Sioux River, and that a force be sent from Fort Ridgely to remove those on the Redwood and Sioux Rivers near the Minnesota line. The Indians from the Missouri that were on the Coteau in September were ordered across the James, and were warned not to return. Major Balcombe, Indian agent at Fort Thompson, has also been notified that the Indians from the Missouri would not be allowed to hunt or occupy any portion of the country east of the James; yet we find them moving toward the frontier in large numbers, and if measures are not promptly taken to send those back that are now here the entire camp of Sioux located at Fort Thompson will be over here before the winter sets in.

J. R. BROWN,

Major and Special Military Agent.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, Numbers 156.
New Orleans, October 28, 1864.

The supervising special agent of the Treasury Department, Mr. B. F. Flanders, having expressed in writing his readiness to take charge of the freedman in this department, now under military supervision, it is ordered-

First. That the charge and control of freedmen in the Department of the Gulf be transferred to the said B. F. Flanders, supervising